After Midnight
by nyxstela
Summary: Johnny and Steven take a nice walk after midnight. Set somewhere in the 80s. Short oneshot w/ fluff. Marrissey or Johnny Marr/Steven Morrissey from The Smiths. (RPF)


A/N: Hello! This is my first Smiths fanfiction and my first uploaded online (though not my first written!). I'm not that great of a writer, but oh well, I tried. If you manage to find this and read this, just know I love you, whether you end up liking it or not, because even that means a lot to me :)

That being said, I do actually hope you enjoy this.

* * *

It was two in the morning. The city outside already awake with distant traffic. Steven was lying on his bed, not being able to sleep for the third night in a row. He stared at the dark outline of the clock, counting the hours and minutes. He didn't need to see the clock to feel the early hours of the morning creeping in. He had been contemplating getting up and rereading a book for the millionth time, just to pass the hours, when he heard three soft knocks on his front door. Initial confusion on who would be visiting him at this hour subsided as he remembered just who he was friends with.

He got up and headed downstairs to open the door.

"Oh, hey Moz," Johnny said. He looked slightly surprised. "Didn't think you'd answer the door."

Johnny didn't make a move to walk in, instead leaning against the wall outside the door. He was wearing the clothes Steven had last seen him in hours before, during the daylight. The leather jacket and bleary eyes told him that he'd been out, most likely drinking with Andy.

He was honestly glad to see him. Johnny always came over for company and that's just what he needed. Apart from the difficulties that came with sleep (or lack thereof), he had an overwhelming sense of loneliness with no real cause. Well, there was a cause, but it wasn't something Steven could help, much less fix. Steven thought of the sick irony that put that cause right in front of him now, and made him feel happier for it.

He scoffed lightly, "Why? You knew I'd be up, Johnny." His insomnia was hardly a secret. These were the hours he wrote some of his best words after all. "Isn't that why you decided to visit at such an hour?"

"Mmm…," he grinned, "I dunno, hopeless optimism that you'd be asleep by a decent time for once?" He laughed, gaining a chuckle from Steven. "How are ya, Moz? Really?"

The sudden sincerity took Steven by surprise. While Johnny wasn't one to shy away from heartfelt conversations, he did seem to get sincere at random times when Steven would least expect it. Truthfully, Johnny would ask about him whenever he felt he was in an emotional crisis of some sort or another, reinforcing what he already knew. Johnny was a great friend, perhaps the best he's ever had.

He knew why he was asking. Steven had been avoiding Johnny for a bit now. They'd still talk but Johnny could tell when something was off.

Steven gave him a small smile. "I'm good. Fine, really. I just can't sleep but that's not anything new."

And there was that face Johnny often gave Steven when he didn't believe him. Johnny knew there was no point in pressing, so he thankfully let it drop.

"Good, good, glad to hear it." He looked down. "So listen, Moz, since you can't sleep and I don't really feel like going home, I was thinking maybe we could head down to the park?"

A strange sort of exhilaration made its way into Steven. It wasn't a drive around the city, something Johnny had given many times before in these midnight hours, but even just a walk with him was more than enough. He wouldn't say no to 15 minutes with him. "That sounds quite great actually. Beats sitting around being bored," he said, reaching to grab the house keys on the mini table next to the door.

Johnny tilted his head a bit, "Not gonna change?

"Too embarrassed to be seen with a man in his pajamas?" He gave him a slight smirk. The pajamas really weren't that bad. The plain t-shirt, sweatpants, and what seemed to be a cross between a sweater and a robe didn't particularly stand out as much as Johnny's greaser look did, but he still liked to tease him.

Johnny rolled his eyes amusedly, "Fuck off, you know what I mean Moz."

The park wasn't near to Steven's house but close enough to walk to. Unsurprisingly, the park was deserted save for the countless crickets. It was nice to breathe in the cool night air. Light pollution had made it impossible to see the stars but it didn't hurt to try.

They made their way to the playground and sat at the adjacent swings, slowly taking the night in. Johnny took out a pack of cigarettes and motioned it towards Steven.

"No, thank you. Should you really be smoking here?"

"Probably not."

He lit his cigarette anyways.

They spent the rest of their stay talking about all the small things and all the big things. Sharing anecdotes and ideas. Steven had always loved how easy flowing their conversations were, how they could talk for hours on end and still lull into a comfortable, not awkward, silence. He glanced at Johnny, a curious expression coloring his face. Unfocused eyes set firmly on the monkey bars across from them.

Johnny got up, causing Steven to do the same. He walked up to the bars and put his hands on it.

"I'm gonna get on."

Steven raised an incredulous eyebrow. "You're joking right? You have to be." He couldn't stop himself from laughing as Johnny started climbing on the bars.

"Johnny are you serious? You aren't twelve anymore you know." Steven's infectious laugh was starting to get to Johnny. He hooked his legs on the side bar and hung upside down, his face right in front of Steven's.

Steven took a metaphorical step back and looked at the situation. Two grown men laughing their asses off at two a.m. in a playground while one of them hung from the monkey bars. The thought of what they might look like to outsiders made him laugh even harder, in turn making Johnny shake with laughter.

"Hey Moz get up here with me," he chuckled. The movement made him unsteady and both men shot out a hand to make sure he didn't fall.

"Yeah, no, I don't think so. Someone needs to make sure you don't fall and crack your head right open, dear. You sure you still aren't drunk?" A face-splitting grin decorated Steven's face. Seeing Johnny act so ridiculous made him happier than almost anything else.

Their eyes locked, warmth suddenly seeping into Steven. Johnny had a sort of goofy smile on his face and Steven felt his heart swell just a bit more. Due to his height, Johnny had never been able to truly be face to face with Steven save for when they sat down together. Now, his face was right in his. _Fuckin' tall bars_. He was overcome with an urging feeling. Something he'd read about recently in the countless old books that littered his room. _Basorexia_. His eyes drifted to Johnny's lips. He was so close. _They_ were so close. And the worst part was that Johnny actually looked expectant.

What on earth was he expecting?

The feeling was painfully intense. Steven was frightened he couldn't stop himself. But he was also frightened of the consequences. The little hints Johnny had been dropping, maybe ever since they met, were not lost on Steven. Regardless, he couldn't bring himself to do anything, going so far as to avoid him sometimes. As long as there was a chance, no matter how small, that he was reading the messages wrong, it kept him frozen solid in his place. He couldn't take the risk and potentially destroy one of the only meaningful relationships he's ever had. Johnny was too important to him.

So he quickly leans in, and kisses Johnny's cheek instead.

It was over as soon as it started. Johnny's eyes widened. A beat. And then another beat. Steven felt his cheeks begin to burn as he shifted his gaze to the ground and stepped back. His mind had caught up with his actions and he started sputtering to justify them.

"I-I'm… sorry. Sorry. I don't know what came over me-"

"Moz."

"Really, I'm sorry, I have no idea why I did that-"

"Moz," he said, with a bit more force this time.

Steven stopped talking and looked back at Johnny. His face was red, but he couldn't tell if it was from his position upside down or embarrassment. Maybe both.

Johnny realized he couldn't have this conversation upside down and brought himself back up, just to jump off the bars. He turned himself to face Steven.

_Oh God_, there was that face again. Only this time, it was apparent that he knew Steven was bullshitting, _hard_.

Their eyes met and Johnny got closer. Steven wanted to step back and create some distance between them, but he couldn't move his feet. For all intents and purposes, he was paralyzed under Johnny's gaze.

There was a gentleness in the way Johnny moved his hands to either side of Steven's face. Steven could hardly take it, his heart beating violently in his own chest.

"Johnny, what-"

Steven's voice effectively died in his throat. Rendered speechless by a genuine smile adorned on Johnny's face. A smile he could only describe as _elysian,_ _orphic_,  
_pulchritudinous_, and any other archaic word he picked up in some pretentious book or another. He barely had time to process his own emotions before soft lips pressed against his.

It lasted longer than the kiss on the cheek. It was chaste and had a dreamy, selcouth sense to it. It was the best kiss Steven had ever received, or given, all despite its slight clumsiness.

They separated, but neither made a move to get out of each other's space. Steven could feel Johnny's breath on his face. It was all so dizzyingly perfect.

Johnny breathed, "I… Wow." He rested his forehead on Steven's. "You're actually a great kisser, you know that?"

Both of them laughed lightly, as if though anything heavier would disturb the air between them. Johnny closed his eyes and sighed.

"But seriously… I wasn't… I wasn't imagining things, was I?" he said, uncertainty clear in his voice.

It was Steven's turn to smile sweetly at him. He could barely contain himself, truth be told. "No… nothing of the sort. What does that mean?"

"It means I like you. Like, properly like you."

"I like you too."

"So, it's fine? I mean, me liking you?"

"Of course, idiot."

City life seemed a bit less lonely now.

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A/N: Thank you for reading!


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